Ginny and Luna stepped off the train onto the platform and into Molly Weasley's waiting arms. Arthur was not with her, he was still in search of Harry. "Oh Ginny, dear! And Luna!" she engulfed them both into a huge hug. They could tell she had been crying; her face had aged so much in such a short time. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"I don't know. They went to help Neville find his toad about twenty minutes after we left and never came back to our compartment. We thought they'd gotten another one."

"Well let's see if we can find them and collect their luggage."

"It's strange that Neville's lost his toad," Luna said suddenly as they walked back to the train to find Ron and Hermione.

"Why, he always loses him?"

"He told me he'd left Trevor with his gran," she replied not realizing what Ginny now did. A look of shock washed over her face.

"Oh, no!" Ginny took off at a run pushing people out of the way and yelling for Ron and Hermione as she rushed down the corridor. She reached the end. She noticed that the emergency exit at the back was closed, but not quite all the way. She opened it. Stuck to the door jam was a thick, maroon piece of yarn. She knew in a second what it was from, a Weasley jumper—Ron's.

Just then, Mrs. Weasley, Luna and Neville's Gran (who apparently couldn't find Neville either) found her. "They're gone," Ginny said immediately.

"What?" Neville's grandmother and Mrs. Weasley said at the same time.

"They've gone to find Harry!"

"No! They can't have! We've found them once and brought them back. Besides, they've—they've left all of their belongings," Molly said pathetically upon realizing they really had gone. She opened Ron's trunk. Indeed, all that it contained were his school books, school supplies, and a few items of clothing. There was a note stuck to the inside of the top. All it said was 'Sorry, Mum.' Mrs. Weasley clutched at her heart and began to sob. "No. NO! Not again! No—they—they…" Neville gran became suddenly distraught as well; she sat don't on his trunk and fanned herself with her large hat.

Ginny however, was more angry than upset and afraid as her mother was. 'I can't believe that they went without me. Without telling me! Soding pratt.'

It had really just clicked for Luna. "Oh, they lied about the toad," she said; a look of wonder on her face.

---

It had now been two weeks since already since they had started out to find Harry. Hermione had apperated the three to Fresburrow, the last place they'd seen Harry; she thought it was the proper place to begin their journey. Now, they had made their way to the second town on the map that Harry had been through, Stanton. It was a slow going dangerous journey but it would be far more risky to apperate again—straight to Harry. If they apperated they would be easier to track, and they were already being looked for; Hermione had to explain this danger to Ron again and again as he grew tired of walking. It would take months to reach him, possibly longer. One person could travel more quickly than three.

The rain drizzled outside making a pitter-pattering sound on the windows. The sky was grey and the day was getting gloomier by the hour. Hermione sat in her room, in the bed she had conjured in the small, abandoned house—very like the shrieking shack—they were staying in at the edge of town.

Ron walked into Hermione's room; she was sitting on the bed and—as usual—reading. She jumped when she heard the door creek, quickly dropping her book and reaching for her wand.

"Oh, Gods, Ron. It's only you." She put her hand to her chest, "You scared me."

"Sorry, if you're busy I can go…" He turned to leave.

"Oh no, no. It's fine." He sat down on the corner of the bed and eyed her nervously, shifting slightly and wringing his hands together.

"What is it Ron." He moved over farther to sit next to her on the bed, his face was acquiring the famous Weasley blush. 'Come on Ron. You can't fail again, you can do it. Merlin, I can't believe I'm doing this while in bed with her.' Her beautiful eyes looked at him in their thoughtful, puzzled, very Hermione-like way and he just melted. 'Why does she have to do that?'

"I—well, I've been thinking."

"Yes?"

"About what Luna said; how we should 'live while we have the chance'. And—"

"And…" Hermione coaxed. One again his instincts took over and pressed his lips to her. He pulled away, however before he lost himself to the passion of this sweet kiss. He grabbed her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes and with a new confidence let himself spill out to her the emotion that he had held inside for nearly seven years.

"Hermione—I love you," He put it simply. She opened her mouth to speak, her eyes wide in shock. "I have loved you since the day I saw you. No, no don't say anything," he stopped her by putting his finger to her lips. "I have been wanting to tell you this for years. I hate myself for not letting you know sooner, before this war forced it out of me; but I was too scared. I am telling you this now because I just don't know anymore what tomorrow will bring. I don't know if today will be my last day on this earth. I don't know if I will ever get another chance to tell you. I don't want to die without having told you." His eyes were full of sincerity and passion now, he didn't know what he was saying—his heart was speaking for him. "I am telling you this now because if I don't, if I don't stop being afraid—afraid of this, I will never live. This fear of the war—and hiding this feeling is holding me back. I want to live while I have the chance. And whether we have one more day together or a lifetime, I want you to know, that I love you, Hermione." He stressed those last words. She was speechless and he was smiling like a fool his face now bright scarlet.

This time it was her doing, before she could think or speak she had grabbed him and kissed him. Their lips melted into eachothers, they lost track of all time and space. For a moment there was no war, they weren't runaways searching for a lost friends; for that moment everything was okay. They both felt it. She pulled away suddenly not believing what had just happened. They just looked at each other neither knowing what do do or say.

Quickly, before she could regain herself he let go of her, got up, and left the room. He went to his room and closed the door behind him. He leaned up against it and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. 'Finally.'

Hermione watched Ron leave, unable to say a word, too shocked to follow. He had just confessed his love for her. She lay back down in her bed and turned over. She smiled broadly into her pillow. 'Finally.'

That next day, there seemed to be an awkward air between Ron and Hermione. Both were very quite but Neville notices Ron constantly sneaking glances at Hermione as they say discussing their plans, but otherwise looking down at his fidgeting hands. They would be setting out again the day after and probably not stop again for at least a week or so. They couldn't afford to waste anymore time finding somewhere to stay, Harry had nearly two and a half months ahead of them.

Hermione had transfigured an owl out of a flower vase. They'd decided to send a letter to Mrs. Weasley letting her know that they were alright. It was simple:

We're alright. We haven't found him yet. Please don't worry too much. Don't try to write us.

She's put another spell on the owl before sending it, to turn back to a vase once the letter was received.

"It doesn't give anything away does it?" Hermione worried.

"I don't think so. It doesn't say where we are or anything. I just hope she doesn't try to write us back. Knowing her it'd be a howler."

"Oh, stop it. She understands that we just need to help Harry. She only does it because she loves you." She stopped and Ron's ears went slightly pink at being reminded of the previous night.

Neville was slightly confused as they both got very quiet. "I'm sure she knows it would be dangerous to owl you anyway."

"Um—yeah, I guess," Ron go up quickly to open the window allowing the owl to fly off to deliver the letter.

---

Mrs. Weasley sat at a long, but empty, kitchen table with only Tonks for company. She had been living with them since the rest of the Order had left to find Harry. She now sported a bump that was just visible under her robes. They had a list in front of them—baby names.

"If it's a girl you liked Amelia, Gabrielle, Sophia, Florabella, Aurora, Gwendolyn, and Calii. And for boys its Aiden, Remus, Romulus, Sirius, Fabian, Damion, or Jack."

"Yeah."

"Well that narrows it. Good thing you've still got four months. " Tonks stood up and made to leave but stopped suddenly.

Just then there was a tap at the widow. An unfamiliar owl hung on the sill. "Oh no," a rush of panic hit Molly.

"What is it?"

Mrs. Weasley grabbed the envelope from the bird rather violently it hooted and with a pop turned into a rather lovely glass vase. She tore the letter open and read it quickly. "They're alright," she said, relieved. "But they've still not found Harry," she frowned.

"What!" Ginny was on her way downstairs—Luna in tow—and had heard her mother.

"We've just got a letter. I assume from your brother it's not signed but…"

"But? Spit it out! Have they found him?"

"No." Ginny frowned, her eyes welled. "But they're alright!" Ginny wasn't consoled. She sat down at the table. Tonks returned to her seat as well.

"Don't you ever worry about Lupin while he's gone?"

"'Course. Do you think I haven't thought what would happen if anything happened to him? How would I raise this baby on my own?" She laughed a little, Ginny knew it was forced.

"But you always seem so—so strong, so together."

"Ha!" She replied. "Hardly! Listen, Gin, the only thing that gets me through is remembering how strong he is, knowing that he knows how much I need him, and believing truly in my heart that nothing is going to happen to him. He won't let it."

"But it's just so—"

"Ginny, he has to do this," She was talking about Harry now. "We all know he can do it. Don't worry. But now, on a lighter note…I am going up to my room. I feel a bought of nausea coming on."

She rose and disappeared into the upstairs toilet. Ginny buried her face in her arms. Her mother put her arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. She got up headed up the stairs to help Tonks.

"She's right you know. He'll be fine," Luna said complacently once again reading the latest issue of the Quibbler upside-down. "There's nothing you can do about it."

Ginny lifted her head up and grinned slightly. "Oh yes, Luna. Yes there is! Thanks, Luna." She too jumped up and ran up the stairs, but to her room; leaving Luna obliviously alone at the table.

"No problem."

---

I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter. Sorry it was so long in coming but I was having a little bit of writers block. But now that I got past that, things are free to get a wee bit more interesting. ;o)